Being a student and living in Ontario Canada attending college is the biggest criteria when applying for OSAP eligibility funding, but you must meet the other OSAP eligibility criteria in order to obtain OSAP funds. Obtaining a higher education can be exceedingly expensive. Thankfully, if you are a resident of Ontario, Canada, you can get help from the OSAP program , or the Ontario Student Aid Program. This is a needs based program that covers a multitude of financing sources for your education such as Canada student loans, bursaries, grants and Canadian scholarships.
OSAP Eligibility Guidelines
First, you must be academically eligible when applying for OSAP. This means that your grades must be satisfactory, but there is more to it. After you have obtained OSAP funding, in order to remain eligible for that funding, you must continue to keep your grades up, and you must avoid frequent program changes, dropping classes, or repeating programs. Any of these circumstances could affect your OSAP eligibility.
Next, you must not be otherwise OSAP ineligible when applying to OSAP. You cannot have defaulted on a previous student loan. If you were overpaid for a grant or bursary, and you have not repaid the overpayment, you will not be OSAP eligible. If you provide information that is false, or otherwise incorrect – or fail to provide information on your application, you will be ineligible. If you have been convicted of a criminal offense of certain types, including fraud or theft, you will not be OSAP eligible. You are wasting your time if you apply for OSAP funding if you have one of the above issues because their are no OSAP exceptions when qualifying for OSAP.
You must make sure that the income that you report on your OSAP application matches the income reported to the Canada Revenue Agency when you apply to OSAP, as this OSAP application form information will be checked. If you have declared bankruptcy, you will most likely be ineligible. Additionally, you must pass the credit check that is done by the OSAP. If you are under investigation for any type of fraud or other criminal offense, you will be ineligible for OSAP funding– even if you are innocent.
OSAP Eligibility for Colleges
Even if you pass all of these OSAP eligibility criteria, there is an additional criterion that must be met – but this criterion pertains mostly to the school and the program that you will be enrolling in. The school must be approved by the OSAP, and additionally, the program of study must also be approved. The program must be at least twelve weeks long, and it must lead to a diploma, degree, or certificate. Most programs are approved, but not all schools are approved. Professional degree programs are not approved. You can find out if the school and program of your choice is approved through the OSAP website.
These are just the general guidelines; there are additional OSAP eligibility criteria that must be met for different programs without the OSAP, such as bursaries and scholarships. Each of these programs will have their own set of eligibility criteria that must be met. You need to check the eligibility requirements for those programs, but being ineligible for certain programs under the OSAP does not make you ineligible for all programs under the OSAP, and it is important to realize this.
In most cases, you can fit the eligibility criteria that are set for OSAP student aid in Ontario, Canada, but remember that this is a needs based program, which means that you must also fit the income criteria. You absolutely must be honest about your income and the income of your parents, spouse, or common law partner when you fill out the OSAP application. Failure to do this can be construed as fraud and you will end up paying your OSAP funding if you are approved under these false circumstances when initially applying for OSAP funding.
Before applying for OSAP funding, read over the general requirements to make sure that you meet those requirements in advance. In some cases, you can make changes in your personal situation to meet the requirements, but in other cases, you simply cannot. Even if you think that you cannot meet those requirements, speak to a counselor through the OSAP to see if something can be done. For more information, visit the OSAP website to find out more on OSAP eligibility.
Related Reading
OSAP Website Online Helpful Navigating Guidelines
How to Apply for OSAP Online
